A brave shopkeeper battled a masked gunman with a can of insect repellent after he tried to rob her store.

Shiyam Gunawardena, 46, was alone in the Beeston Mini Market in Nottingham on Monday morning when the masked intruder, armed with what appeared to be a handgun, rushed into the store at around 11am.

In the horrifying moments that followed, he pointed his weapon at her and demanded that she hand over cash and anything of value in the shop.

But Mrs Gunawardena, who has run the store with her husband for the last 12 years, refused to hand anything over and decided to fight the intruder, the Nottingham Post reports.

Shiyam Gunawardena, 46, was alone in the Beeston Mini Market in Nottingham on Monday morning when the masked intruder, armed with what appeared to be a handgun, rushed into the store (Image: Nottingham Post/BPM Media)

Mrs Gunawardena was alone at the time but she refused to hand over her hard-earned cash to the armed intruder without a fight

Read More

She confronted the thief with a can of fly and wasp killer spray that is kept under the counter and told the Post she intended to either hit him over the head with it or spray him in the eyes.

Her actions saw the robber race out of the shop, but Mrs Gunawardena decided to chase after him with the spray. He fled and escaped down a nearby alleyway.

Speaking to the Nottingham Post on Monday, she said: "I thought quickly, what should I do? I said 'you want the money I will give you the money.'

She has run the Beeston Mini Market in Chilwell Road with her husband for the last 12 years (Image: Nottingham Post/BPM Media)

She confronted the thief with a can of fly and wasp killer spray that is kept under the counter and intended to either hit him over the head with it or spray him in the eyes (Image: Nottingham Post/BPM Media)

Officers from Nottinghamshire Police are appealing for information about the incident (Image: Nottingham Post/BPM Media)